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Hardtops

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The hardtop for the BJ8 will only fit the BJ8 (and BJ7). Other hardtops will not fit, they are significantly different. The BJ8 hardtops are rare, because less were purchased due to the more efficient folding top compared to earlier cars.

The first item looks like a BJ8 top as the rear window bulges out more than the earlier models.

The second one is an early model as described in the ad. It wont fit your BJ8
 
The BJ8 takes a different hardtop than the side curtain cars. The first one you list doesn't have much detail but appears to me to be a side curtain type. The second one says it's for a 100-6 so it's a side curtain type for sure. BJ8 hardtops are not easy to find.

Marv J
 
I had one, got rid of it. BJ7s & BJ8s require the complete removal of soft top & mechanism to install hard top. Not worth it in my opinion. cheers
 
The BJ7-8 Hardtops are like the first one in your post. There were supposedly about 300 made by the Donald Healey Co. and not BMC. There are small badges that atach to the sides that have Donald Healey Co logo on them.

There have been reproductions made, by Pete Farmer and Nical, both of who are in the UK. I understand that these two companies make Tops that closely follow the original Factory Tops both in Design and Hardware.

Cape makes a top that is slightly different and allows you to leave your soft Top installed.

The BJ7-8 Tops must be "fitted" to each car unlike the Tops for the side-curtained cars.

I have a Nical Top for my BJ8, but my car is undergoing a frame-up restoration so I do not have any pics to post. My Top is brand new.

I have not seen a BJ7-8 Top with vertical bars in the back window.
The above info is best to my knowledge.
 
Genos2 said:
I had one, got rid of it. BJ7s & BJ8s require the complete removal of soft top & mechanism to install hard top. Not worth it in my opinion. cheers
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Jim Finch in the UK has modified his BJ8 soft top for for quick removal (poppers along back edge) and finds that it's pretty quick to remove and refit. I'll try and get a scan of the article in Deadcounter.
 
DerekJ said:
AH Spares stock a reproduction of the badge that is mentioned in Patrick's post above.
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Not cheap! I purchased mine a few years ago from a company that sells key fobs for about $10 each. I thought they would also make better looking seatbelt logos than the typical "MG-Austin Healey" stickers that were available.
 
It's not "the back of the sofa" that is the problem, it's the top & mechanism. It will not clear the chrome bezel around the top of the rear shroud(doesn't fit below it or beneath it).
 
There have been hard tops around forever that do not require the removal of the soft top. Mine was made by Parish Plastics. I think my dad got it in 1968? The problem with it is it rides on the rear deck behind the soft top and eventually will wear thru the paint. The top is still made, now by a company called Smoothline. That being said since it wears on the paint, once my car is repainted i will not put it on again. I will just paint it and hang it on the garage wall.
 
66healey said:
There have been hard tops around forever that do not require the removal of the soft top. Mine was made by Parish Plastics. I think my dad got it in 1968? The problem with it is it rides on the rear deck behind the soft top and eventually will wear thru the paint. The top is still made, now by a company called Smoothline. That being said since it wears on the paint, once my car is repainted i will not put it on again. I will just paint it and hang it on the garage wall.
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Paint wear also happens on my Pete Farmer hardtop. It probably happens with them all as grit gets under the rubber seals and then body flex does the rest. My plan is to go to a printed vinyl graphics company and get them to cut an accurate profile and use that a sacrificial surface keeping the paint underneath pristine.
 
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